"Divide your merchandise among seven or even eight investments, for you do not know what calamity may happen on earth." - Ecclesiastes 11:2

I've heard this verse is occasionally interpreted to tell us to buy lots of different stocks or mutual funds. To spread our money broadly in bonds and things. But this isn't what I think it means.

"What calamity may happen on earth," seems much more to me a reference the fact that any earthly investment may not be worth your while. I'm not saying this to mean we shouldn't invest, I strongly think providing for your future is an important thing. Rather, I think this verse is to remind us of eternal investments.

My favorite investment is in a 25 year old guy who feels called to sports ministry. He worked full time for a church for a while and then asked to leave because he wanted to focus more on sports ministry and didn't feel he could give his whole heart to the church. Now he is helping to lead a ministry which reaches out to Middle School students through baseball and soccer.

I love supporting this guy in his ministry because he is so on fire for the Lord and a much more gifted evangelist than I am. One of my favorite things is having lunch with this guy and listening to how the Lord is using him. This is an eternal investment. And I hope to give to seven or eight such investments.

Are you making an eternal investment? If something happens to your stocks and your investments in this world, will you have an investment elsewhere? Eternally? Sow broadly.